Cooperatives Can Provide Solution to Unwanted Ubiquitous Middleman

Abstract

Recently, I stayed in a hotel in Kotrijk, Belgium, which served tea, coffee and chocolate sourced only from Fairtrade-certified farms. These products are so certified because, in their respective supply chains, Fairtrade ensure the farmers get fair returns from their labour by addressing the disparities in economic power through strengthening farmer cooperatives. It is one way to manage the disparity between the farm gate prizes offered by the ubiquitous middleman and market prizes.